Best Wireless Routers 2018 – Buyer’s Guide – Reviews and Ratings

Can you imagine your life without the internet? I hope you even don’t want to imagine your life without the internet. To enjoy the unlimited and speedy internet we need a good router installed at our end as well. The good Internet is not possible with the good Wireless router. And finding out the Best Wireless Router among hundreds is not an easy job.

Do you want to purchase a new wireless router and want to do homework before purchasing? If yes then you are landed at the right place. But we proceeding let us put up few questions in front of you. Do you know which router is best for you? Do you know which specifications you should consider before making a decision? Are you a gamer or a streamer? Do you own a big house and want to increase the range of your Wi-Fi with best routers? You should be very clear with the purpose of buying a router. Last but not least! What is your budget? Before making a final decision you should answer each and every question we put up. Once you find the answer it will be super easy for you to buy the best Wireless Router under your pocket budget.

How to Find Best Wireless Routers?

This is the world of the Internet of Things everything is connected to everything from TV, to the door of our houses everything is connected to a central device. In homes and in offices the Wireless Routers play in important role. You must acquire the router which can easily handle the increasing demand for Wi-Fi connectivity. You should consider the following factors while purchasing the Wireless Routers.

Must consider the Coverage Area.

Consider the number of clients can handle at once.

Which types of devices you can connect with the routers.

With the betterment of the technology, the latest routers are obvious offers high performances.

Must consider the bandwidth it can handle for smooth video streaming.

There is nothing wrong to pay for the features and latest technology equipped by the best wireless routers. If you have good family size then you must consider quality, performance, and bandwidth. In this comprehensive guide, we will unveil some facts which will help you a lot in selecting the best routers and help you to overcome the networking issues of future.

Compatible Radio Bands

Neither the routers nor the devices are technically equal. The router available in the market offering different compatibility with the radio bands. Some models of the routers can communicate over the one radio band while other offer two. So, we can say that in market there are 3 types of routers.

Single Band Routers

Dual Band Routers

Tri Band Routers

Let’s explore both of them turn by turn and try to find out which one is best for us.

Single Band Routers

The Wireless Router use the frequency bands and single band routers operate at 2.4GHz. Such types of routers are not expensive but they only can accommodate the devices which operate on the same frequency bands. For example, electric over, wireless phones, smart home controllers, wireless garage door opener must work on 2.4 GHz frequency in order to function properly with Single Band Routers. Single Band routers are best to browse the internet and other social media like Facebook & Twitter.

Dual-Band Routers

If you have a gaming service like Xbox or video service in your home then you must consider the Dual-band routers. The dual-band routers work on the 2 radio frequency bands. One works at the 2.4GHz band and other works at 5 GHz. The 5 GHz offers the more throughput with no or less signal interference because of less load on 5 GHz. Due to the maximum throughput and minimal interference, this is the ideal band for video streaming and live gaming. Moreover, with the user interface, you can assign a specific band to any specific device in your home. In this way, you can balance the load and can achieve maximum performance.

Tri-Band Routers

Yes, this could be the first time you might have seen a Tri-Band Routers. Functionally, there is no much difference between the dual-band routers and tri-band routers. In tri-band routers, one operates at 2.4GHz and rest of two antennas operate at 5GHz. Such models are best for the enterprise units or the place where the authorities need to handle the heavy traffic.

Wireless Protocols an Important Technical Aspect

Most of us are not technical that’s why while purchasing the new routers and other wireless devices we don’t consider the wireless protocols. Wireless protocols play an important role in data transferring rate. Wireless LAN networks uses the 802.11 protocols in order to send and receive the data. Such devices which are programmed with the 802.11b and 802.11g protocols can transfer data at 11Mbps (Megabits per seconds) and 54Mbps respectively. They can only operate at 2.4GHz radio band. Nowadays, the most widely used Wireless protocol is 802.11n which lets the user transfer data at the maximum speed of 600 Mbps and compatible to work with both bands.

MIMO Technology

While purchasing the best wireless router you must consider the MIMO technology. The latest routers are equipped with the Multiple Input Multiple Output technology in which the routers uses the multiple antennas in order to receive and send the data. In this technical era, most of the devices like laptops and other household items are equipped with the 802.11n protocol and MIMO technology.

There are another new and revolutionary protocols which bring a great revolution in the era of wireless routers. You must read it as well before moving to towards the final decision. And that is

11ac

The 802.11ac routers are labels like AC1200, AC1750, etc. these are the routers to design to accommodate any wireless LAN need.

Best Wireless Routers of 2018 Technical Reviews:

NETGEAR Nighthawk R6700 Smart Dual Band AC1750 WiFi Router

NETGEAR Nighthawk is one of the best smart Wi-Fi Router available in the market with a pocket-friendly price tag. This incredible routing device is a dual-band smart Wi-Fi with three external antennas. With this device, you can enjoy high speed of 400 – 1350 Mbps (Megabits per seconds). If you have a big house and have wall separation between the rooms then this is the ideal solution for you because it has high penetrating power and also featured with reduced signal interference. Setting up and configuring the router is super easy. Moreover, it is highly efficient and powerful. It can easily accommodate 12 devices at a time without suffering the quality of service. This router is also compatible to work with the Alexa and Amazon home control devices. You can control your home network with voice commands.

The NETGEAR Nighthawk R6700 Smart Dual Band AC1750 Wi-Fi Router has the best security features. Once you install it get rid of security worries because this model you are equipped with data “SafetyGuard” option which let you have the backup of files and folders of your connected devices. All in all, this smart Wi-Fi router is best to use for gaming purpose with no lag experience while playing online.

Asus RT-AC86U AC2900 Router

If you are the technical nerd or gaming nerd a good internet connection is the basic need of everyone. In the market, there are thousands of routers which are good for the gamers but Asus RT-AC86U AC2900 Router is an ideal solution for the gamers. The routers of Asus is holding the podium place in the market and the reason could behind it is the incredible features. It is the master piece of ASUS manufacturing as the latest technology holder. It consists of 5th generation 802.11ac wireless protocol chipset with the dual-band operating. It offers the super-fast speed up to 1.75 Gbps (Gigabit per second). Moreover, with the Aicloud offers unlimited storage expansion to the users.

The device is quite versatile in nature, you can easily fit at the place you want. RT-AC86U AC2900 is equipped with the 3 external antennas which you can move to enhance the reception of the Wi-Fi signals. The user interface of the device is quite friendly. By following just 3 simple steps you can easily setup the router with network management utility.

Security is one of the most considering features while purchasing the router and in the Case of Asus RT-AC86U AC2900, you can easily monitor the real traffic on your network. You can manage all the security features effectively. It is equipped with the Network Map which allows you to visualize the security of the connected devices and can also show you how many devices are connected to it right now.

D-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Router (DIR-842)

D-Link is one of the most popular brands in the routers industry. This D-Link DIR-842 AC1200 is included in the latest released of D-Link in November 2015. There is not much information printed on the box of the D-Link DIR-842 except it offers 1200 Mbps(Megabits per second) data rate speed and simple and easy to install. Moreover, it works for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The mentioned data rate speed is ideal which we can only attain if the condition is ideal whereas theoretically, this device offers 300 Mbps for 2.4 GHz and 876 Mbps for 5GHz.

Moreover, it comes with the Gigabit Ethernet ports which offer 1 Gbps, this clearly makes sense of given ideal speed promised by the D-Link. It consists of 4 rectangular shaped High Gain antennas which provide a good range even though if your house is big enough.

All in all the device is best to use at home because equipped with the latest technology and ideal for those who have a tight budget. It is available in the market with the low price tag and most of the users are highly satisfied with its performance.

Linksys EA6350 AC1200 Smart Wi-Fi Wireless Router

The Linksys EA6350 AC1200 is one of the top leading product in market with the pocket-friendly price tag. This smart Wi-Fi Router is dual band router and offers best throughput with no lag experience. Above all, the router is belong to the category of best Wi-Fi Routers under $100.

If you have a small home and few family members and want to run the modest network with the fine mixture of wired and wireless devices then this router is the ideal solution for you. It is dual band router and you will get the lightning-fast 5GHz data rate speed in just $89.99. Not only this you can also get a nice user interface through which you can do Network management setting to have complete control on Wi-Fi devices as well as on wired devices.

It can easily achieve theoretically 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 876 Mbps on 5GHz band. Moreover, the installation, configuring, and network management is super easy with the user-friendly user interface. You can monitor the real-time traffic in the admin dashboard of the router. All in all, the ideal solution for networking under low budget and best to use for the small families.

TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Wi-Fi Router

TP-Link is one of the renowned brands in the industry of networking. TP-Link’s Archer C7 AC1750 is the famous mode of TP-Link with the dual band and gigabit ports. The router comes under 100$ category and performs just like the expensive routers. In our testing, the 2.4GHz and 5 GHz bands perform much better than the competitive routers. With 2.4 GHz it offers the 480 Mbps and with 5GHz it offers the 1300 Mbps. Moreover, it also consists of 4 Gigabit LAN ports and a pair of USB 2.0 ports.

You can easily manage the users with the help of the user Interface but most users’ complaint about the respond of console. They said undoubtedly it is user-friendly but slow to respond. User can easily navigate between the options but graphical icons.

The installation and configuration of the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 is super easy. As it get connected with the PC by default the web console address open in browser to access the management of the router. You simply can click on the quick setup tab on left and select the Auto-Detect. All in all, under such low budget there is nothing wrong to say that TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 has no match in Data rate transferring.

Trendnet AC2600 StreamBoost MU-MIMO WiFi Router

This legendary device is a bit expensive but equipped with the latest technology in order to provide the best networking service. The Trendnet AC2600 StreamBoost MU-MIMO smart Wi-Fi Router is specially designed for the houses which have multiple Wi-Fi Users. This device comprised of incredible features which delivered the amazing data speed theoretically.

Few users said that the management interface of the device is a bit tricky to use but it consists of an array of management settings which let you manage your whole network with super ease.

The Trendnet AC2600 SteamBoost consists of 4 rectangular shaped external antennas which are fully adjustable to maximize the transmission and reception of the Wi-Fi Signals. The front end of the router consist of a small blue LED indicators through which you can visually monitor the activities of the router. At the rear end of the router, there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 WAN ports and power buttons for Wi-Fi and WPS.

All in all, with the cost of this router you will get the latest technology and will have no compromise on the quality of service. Best for the gamers and technical nerds.

Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming Router

If you are gaming lover and looking for the best gaming router under the affordable budget then here is the ideal solution for you, Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi Gaming Router. This router worked with the killer networking in order to build up the Prioritization engine in the router. So when you get it connected with the top class PC or laptop you will get the experience of best gaming with up to 77% up performance during the peak hours of the ping times. All in all, you will enjoy the online gaming with no lag and smooth run.

Linksys WRT32X device support dual-band frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. It keeps you on the top of the game with 3.2 Gbps Wi-Fi data speed. Furthermore, all of the connected devices receives dedicated data stream which means that users have no need to compete with one another for the bandwidth. Moreover, it provides the four Gigabit Ethernet switch ports, which enables the gamers to connect multiple rigs or consoles with the next LAN (Local Area Network).

All in all, the router is best to use for the gamers who want to be at the top of the leaderboard. You can experience best live broadcast of games with Linksys WRT32X Wi-Fi gaming router. There is nothing wrong to say that no one can catch the Linksys WRT32X Gaming router in performance.

Synology Router RT2600ac

Synology is dealing with the top class routers of the industry. Their product line up is following the quality in order to serve best to the users. They recently launched a router named as RT2600ac which delivers an ultimate throughput for both 2.4 GHz and 5GHz. Moreover, they added up some brand new features like MU-MIMO (Multiple users – Multiple Input and Multiple Output) and also offers the dual WAN connectivity.

The device consists of four fully removable and highly adjustable antennas in order to get maximum reception of the Wi-Fi Signals. Furthermore, it consists of 4 Gigabit LAN ports, one USB 2.0 port, and 1 3.0 port. It also consists of a dedicated WAN port and one SD slot. It allows you to use the LAN port as WAN port in order to support the 2Gbps or you can use it as reductant port to save yourself in case of failover.

The Synology Router Manager User interface allows you to manage the load balancing across the primary and secondary WAN connections. Over the top, this device offers best data transferring speed for online gaming. With 2.4 GHz you can experience up to 800 Mbps and 1.73 Gbps at 5 GHz. To sum up all, if you are a techy nerd you should try this router.

NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500

NETGEAR is serving the industry with the best wireless routers. It is the podium placeholder device. For the gamers, the bandwidth and graphics are the most important factors and not all the routers allow the user to customize the necessary settings in order to optimize the gaming experience. NETGEAR XR500 is slim and dual-band router which will help you to prioritize the real-time traffic. It will also allow you to monitor the real-time latency and bandwidth. Furthermore, it consists of a specially designed operating system best for the gaming.

The NETGEAR Nighthawk pro gaming XR500 consists of 4 removable and fully adjustable antennas. It is a dual band router which offers 800 Mbps on 2.4 GHz band and 1.73 GHz on 5GHz band. Moreover, it is featured in the latest technologies like MU-MIMO data streaming and it also delivers the data to all MU-MIMO clients at the same time rather than sequentially. It also supports the beamforming which means that it sends data directly to connected devices, not over the broad spectrum.

The installation and configuration of the router are very simple and easy anyone can do it with a few clicks. All in all, the NETGEAR XR500 is the ideal router for the gamer who want to be at the top of the online gaming leaderboard.

TP-Link Archer AC2300

TP-Link is one of the pioneer brand in the industry of best wireless routers. The product is available in the market under affordable price tag. The TP-Link Archer C2300 is best to use in close range because it offers the maximum through performance with MU-MIMO in close ranges. Moreover, it is loaded with the premium features like robust antivirus, save the network from malwares, offers the best QoS, and also has parental controls which make it super easy to control and configure.

The AC2300 is the dual band router which offers the data transmission on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. theoretically, it offers the 600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz band and 1625 Mbps on 5GHz band. Moreover, it support 802.11ac technologies and others like MU-MIMO data streaming and it also delivers the data to all MU-MIMO clients simultaneously rather than sequentially. It also supports the beamforming which means that it sends data directly to connected devices, not over the broad spectrum.